Unable to catch a break in this competition and in 2026 in general, Serbia’s chances of pulling off a great escape from relegation took a serious hit with less than three minutes played.
Maximilian Mittelstadt’s corner was met by Kai Havertz’s flick, but it wouldn’t have crept into the bottom corner without a telling deflection off defender Srdjan Babic.
And only a further 10 minutes had elapsed when Florian Wirtz persevered to pick up the rebound after Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved Havertz’s initial shot, flicking the ball over the goalkeeper and bundling over the Serbian goal line.
The only positive for the hosts was that they held on until half-time without going any further behind, as chances for Havertz and Jonathan Tah went begging.
The promise shown by Veljko Paunovic’s men at the start of the second half was quickly forgotten as Germany debutant Brajan Gruda carried the ball from his own half, fended off Stefan Gudelj, and planted a left-footed shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
But Serbia did finally get themselves on the board just six minutes later, with Babic atoning for his earlier own goal by slotting in on the rebound after Gudelj’s header was palmed away by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Hoping to change things with substitutions, Paunovic introduced all-time leading goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, who tested Ter Stegen within moments of entering the fray.
But his side’s hopes were all but ended when referee Javier Alberola Rojas went to the VAR booth to determine that Vanja Dragojevic’s step on the ankle of Joshua Kimmich was enough for a straight red card.
Germany played out a comfortable final 15 minutes thereafter, with further calamity for the hosts as Andrija Zivkovic was also sent off for dissent towards the referee.
Though the Netherlands defeated Greece tonight, a win for Germany over Oranje on Monday would most likely give Jurgen Klopp’s side what they need to make the play-offs.
Serbia haven’t been able to cope with a tough Group A2 and will play the next Nations League cycle in League B, having lost all but one of their nine matches this calendar year.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Joshua Kimmich (Germany)
